Robot-assisted Laparoscopic Staging Surgery for Endometrial Cancer—A Preliminary Report

• Main Authors: Chyi-Long Lee, Chien-Min Han, Hsuan Su, Kai-Yun Wu, Chin-Jung Wang, Chih-Feng Yen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2010-12-01
• Series: Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology
• Subjects: endometrial cancer; laparoscopic staging surgery; robotic surgery; surgical outcomes
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1028455910600897

Objective: The robotic surgical system is reported to overcome some technical difficulties in traditional laparoscopic hysterectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and surgical outcomes of a robotic surgery program for endometrial cancer. Materials and Methods: Patients with endometrial cancer with the intention to receive treatment using robotassisted laparoscopic staging surgery were recruited in a university hospital from July 2007 to August 2008. All of these surgeries were performed with the da Vinci system. Results: Six patients (mean age, 47.5 ±1.4 years; mean body mass index, 26.2 ±3.5 kg/m2) were enrolled and completed robot-assisted laparoscopic staging surgery. The robot docking time was 45.0 ±13.6 minutes and the robot-assisted operation time was 200.3 ±30.0 minutes. The mean estimated blood loss was 180.0 ±147.6 mL. The mean number of lymph nodes retrieved was 23.2 ±7.4. No laparoconversion and no intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. All patients were alive and free of disease up to the date of this report, at a median follow-up of 6.5 months (range, 5-17 months). Conclusion: Robot-assisted laparoscopic staging surgery is a feasible treatment and helps overcome the technical limitations in conventional laparoscopy for endometrial cancer.